State guide — Washington

Incorporate a nonprofit in Washington

State facts checked against Washington official sources — October 2026

Washington's form does something quietly excellent: it forces the two entries the IRS cares about most. Section 6 requires your purpose, Section 12 requires the distribution of assets on dissolution, and Section 8 — 'any other provisions' — is the slot for the federal tax-exempt language. The form is a checklist wearing a disguise. It also offers two prices, and most new nonprofits qualify for the cheaper one.

The steps

1. Choose a name and confirm it is available in Washington — and distinguishable from existing entities in the filing office's records.
2. Line up your agent: registered agent in Washington — the agent's signed consent is part of the form; a physical Washington address is required.
3. Draft the articles with the 501(c)(3) clauses in them — see the language section below. This is the step that decides whether the IRS accepts your application months from now.
4. File with Secretary of State and pay the state fee. File through CCFS or by mail. The registered agent's signed consent is on the form itself — no separate drawer document.
5. Get the EIN — free from the IRS once the corporation exists. The EIN guide covers the traps.
6. Run the eligibility checker and file Form 1023-EZ or Form 1023 on Pay.gov. Then handle Washington charity registration (below) before you fundraise.

The 501(c)(3) language in Washington

Complete §6 with a specific exempt purpose, §12 with distribution to another exempt organization or government for exempt purposes, and use §8 for the IRS purpose limitation and dedication language. The §4 charitable-nonprofit flag is triggered by exactly this kind of 501(c)(3) language — file consistently. Present the $40 tier accurately: it requires certifying that initial gross revenue is under $500,000.

The federal requirement underneath all of this is the organizational test: your organizing document must limit the organization to exempt purposes and permanently dedicate its assets to exempt purposes on dissolution. The IRS publishes sample wording — a purpose clause and a dissolution clause — and the kit's generator builds both into your articles automatically.

Washington traps and notes

• Don't promise yourself $40 unconditionally — the reduced fee rides on the gross-revenue certification. If you can't certify, the fee is $80.
• Washington puts charities and corporations in one division — expect the Charities Program relationship (below) to start at the same office.

After incorporation: Washington charitable solicitation registration

Status: Required. Regulator: Secretary of State — Charities Program.

Washington charitable organizations register with the Secretary of State's Charities Program, generally before soliciting, and renew annually. The same agency that charters you runs the registry — one less office to find, one more deadline to calendar.

The national picture — which states require registration, which don't, and the exemptions that actually apply — is in our guide to charitable solicitation registration.